When playing Elsword, there will be an additional bar below the mana gauge called Way of the Sword. This bar has 10 segments that, by default, contain 5 red Destruction slots and 5 blue Vitality slots, and depending on your actions, the bar will lean towards one color or 'aura' (from right to left for Destruction, from left to right for Vitality), replacing the other aura's slots. As long as an aura has at least one slot in the bar filled, you will receive special benefits depending on which aura you currently have active. The "Aura of Destruction" is selected by default, and you can switch between it and the "Aura of Vitality" by using the V key.

Depending on the type of skill you use, the bar will fill towards the right with blue Vitality slots or towards the left with red Destruction slots:

Flexibility/Tenacity skill: 1 slot

Strength skill: 2 slots

Bravery skill: 3 slots

Note that skills fill the slots contrary to their mode: vitality-based skills fill the bars with destruction slots; destruction-based skills fill the bar with vitality slots.

If the bar is filled completely by either aura's slots, the aura for the other mode will deactivate and you will enter a neutral stance with no benefits when it is toggled on, until at least 1 slot is re-gained for that mode. As such, the bar acts as a balancing mechanic so over-using one mode's skills can prevent that mode's aura from being active.

While regenerating MP as Aisha, you will able to memorize a skill from your skill slots into a memorized skill slot. A memo will appear above you after charging MP for 1.5 seconds, and skills that are able to be memorized will be highlighted.

When the memo appears and you activate an eligible skill, the skill will go on cooldown and the required MP will be consumed, but it will not be activated. Instead, it will be stored in her memorized skill slots. Successfully memorizing a skill will cause the memo above you to flash. You are able to memorize a maximum 3 skills, but you cannot memorize the same skill more than once.

Pressing V will activate the first skill you memorized for no additional cost, but at a small damage penalty. This allows you to activate the same skill twice in a row if you memorize the skill once beforehand.

When playing as Rena, you will have access to a special bar called Nature's Force. The system is indicated by a set of 5 bars below your MP bar. Each NF bar represents a nature orb, which you are able to gain by using commands (/) and Active skills. After 3 hits, 1 orb will appear to float around you.

When Awakening, you will receive 5 NF. If you already have NF available, you will receive 15 MP for every excessive bar. When you have at least 1 nature orb, she gains a passive buff that increases your speed, passive MP recovery and the MP gained from arrows, as well as decreases the MP used for firing arrows.

When you have at least 1 or more nature orbs, you are able to use those orbs alongside certain skills. For most Special Actives, if the required amount of nature orbs are available as indicated on each skill, the first hit will cause the respective amount of orbs to detonate on the target. The orbs deal splash damage and ignore defense.

When entering Awakening Mode as Raven, a Nasod Core will appear behind you that will assist you in battle both offensively and defensively. The core has five levels; the bigger it is, the stronger it becomes. It grows as you deal damage, take damage (slower rate than doing damage), or when you use a Special Active. The core is level 2 upon first awakening. Additionally, when 3 beads are used to awaken, an aura of electricity will appear around you, dealing damage to nearby enemies.

Offensively, when you hit a target with an active like Breaking Fist or a special active like Power Assault and it survives the attack, the Core will propel itself at the target in a straight line by turning into dagger-like shape when it is at least level 2. If no enemies are hit, it will return behind you at the same level it was before launching. If it does hit, it pierces through all targets hit as it travels a set distance, without knocking down.

Defensively, when you are hit by an attack in front while on the ground, the core transforms into a shield that reduces damage. The shield lasts a short time and the core loses a level each time it forms the shield. If the core is level 1 when it defends you, it will disappear afterward and requires the usual conditions to reappear. You cannot move during the guarding animation.

When entering Awakening Mode as Eve, a Queen's Core will be generated. The core has 3 levels, and will follow and support you by changing itself during offensive and defensive situations. Additionally, Eve has access to a special skill called Code: Recovery, which can be activated by pressing V to recover some HP. This skill will have additional effects based on the chosen job path.

While awakened, every hit you do will level up the Queen's Core. A core level up is indicated when it lights up for 1 second. The higher the level of the core, the more damage will be dealt by the Queen's Laser, and the number of times it is able to defend you increases.

When a Special Active is used while the core is active, it will trigger the Queen's Laser, a thin blue laser dealing damage to anything in its path. If you entered awakening mode with 3 beads, the laser will be far more powerful, indicated by the red color. The powerful red laser is able to deal splash damage.

When you are attacked while on the ground while the core is active, the Queen's Core will switch to a defensive mode and surround you with a force field to absorb the damage. While the core is defending you, you can press or to phase backwards out of harms way. After defending you, the core will disappear until enough hits are dealt again.

Chung's Ammunition Supply is one of his most notable and interesting features. Many of his skills are ammo-reliant. Skills such as Siege Shelling and Lunatic Blow use up all of Chung's ammo, but increase in power based on how much ammo was used. Other skills such as Aiming Shot or Scare Chase use only one. Many of Chung's attacks use ammo too.

Despite being covered in chains when empty, Chung's third awakening bead is obtained like any other. It has a different appearance to indicate when Berserk Mode is ready. When Berserk Mode is activated, Chung is enveloped in his full Freiturnier armor (notably including the helmet) stored inside his suit's Guardian Stone, a special object that increases his fighting ability.

Whenever Chung is hit while he has a blue outline (e.g., the third attack of the combo), he switches to a Heavy Stance, a guarding stance which gives 40% damage reduction. However, he will stagger after guarding 5~6 hits and will be unaffected by Stun and Flattening.
While guarding, Chung is able to counterattack.

By using the hairpin of Eun (design varies on her class), Ara is able to go into a 3rd awakening bead transformation called the Celestial Fox Mode. While in this mode, her appearance changes, in which her hairstyle will change(hairstyle varies on her class) and become fully white, 9 spectral tails will also appear on her back, giving her the looks of the Gumiho. Equipped accessory will not be shown in this mode.

Ara has a unique combo system which involves using Spirit Energy. Spirit Energy is shown as beads below your HP bar. New players start with a 10 bead gauge.

Ara is able to cancel certain Active/Special Active skills by using any other skill (excluding Repel and evacuation skill) right before the previous skill used ends. This will cancel the skill's final hit which prevents KD, but also gains extra Spirit Energy depending on the skill. For example, if you used Exorcism Stance 3: Shadoweave (which costs 2 spirit energy when used) and cancel with Tiger Stance 2: Tiger Claw, you will gain 2 Spirit Energy instead (-2 from using Shadoweave +4 from cancel bonus as stated in description).

When playing Elesis, there will be an additional bar below the MP bar called Chivalry. This bar has 10 segments that, by default, contain 5 red Annihilation slots and 5 blue Gale slots, and depending on your actions, the bar will lean towards one color (from right to left for Annihilation, from left to right for Gale), replacing the other color's slots. As long as a color has at least one slot in the bar filled, you will receive special benefits depending on which color you currently have active. The "Spirit of Annihilation" is selected by default, and you can switch between it and the "Aura of Gale" by using the V key.

Depending on the type of skill you use, the bar will fill towards the right with blue Gale slots or towards the left with red Annihilation slots:

Flexibility/Tenacity skill: 1 slot

Strength skill: 2 slots

Bravery skill: 3 slots

Note that skills fill the slots contrary to their mode: gale-based skills fill the bars with annihilation slots; annihilation-based skills fill the bar with gale slots.

If the bar is filled completely by either color's slots, the other mode will deactivate and you will enter a neutral stance with no benefits when it is toggled on, until at least 1 slot is re-gained for that mode. As such, the bar acts as a balancing mechanic so over-using one mode's skills can prevent that mode from being active.

Unlike other characters' awakening, Add's awakening is called the Dynamo Configuration Mode (DC Mode). When he is not in DC Mode, every hit he does will charge up the DP gauge. When you have at least 100 DP, Add is able to awaken like any other character at the cost of 50 DP and all surrounding targets will be damaged. While in DC mode, his stance and dynamos will be changed. Every hit he does will decrease the gauge. Pressing awaken hot key again will deactivate DC mode. Like awakening, Add will gain a damage boost when in DC Mode. Unlike a normal awakening, when Add goes into DC mode, the screen will not freeze. Add is able to execute Nasod Armor combo extensions depending on the job advancement. Some skills will no longer use DP in DC mode.

When Add goes into DC mode, 1 Dynamo Mutation Point will be added to the counters below his portrait. Mutation Points are used to power up his skills. Skills will only be boosted if Add is in DC mode.

Being a duo character with a tag-team playstyle, Lu and Ciel do not share MP and also have a special system known as Combination. When either Lu or Ciel is tagged out, the inactive character will rapidly recover 6 MP per second (1 MP in PvP). This MP recovery, combined with fast, short skills and the special Combination Gauge, encourage players to keep switching between the two in order to maximize damage.

The combination gauge can be filled with Combination Points, which are used in specific situations, such as Combination Skills. These skills cost no MP, but can usually only be used when the combination gauge is full. Combination points are gained every time the player switches, be it through a normal combo or a skill. However it requires you to land the switching attack to actually grant you any CP.

The "ECP System" enables Rose to use a special resource called ECP, as well as wield 4 different firearms: Revolvers, Musket, Auto-Guns, and Hand Cannons.

Revolvers will attack with quick shots at a medium range, Muskets can fire strong shots at large range, in exchange for a low firing rate, Auto-Guns utilize multiple shots at a very quick rate with a smaller range and Hand Cannons use the strongest shots but have a short range and a firing slow firing rate.

Instead of MP, all of Rose's actives will consume ECP, a resource that will recover itself naturally over time, indicate by the yellow gauge below your MP. When the ECP gauge is depleted, Rose will enter Overstrike Mode, allowing her combos and skills to do additional damage, but preventing you from using Active skills until the ECP gauge recovers itself completely (but it can be negated by passives like Frenzy and Musket Master), during which it will flash in a bright red.

Power System is a system exclusive to Ain which allows him to switch between "Cycle Magic" and "Creation Magic". When in the default state, attacking enemies will charge the Power Gauge. After the Power Gauge is filled, it will turn blue and you will shift into Creation Mode. During this time, you will be able to switch between Cycle and Creation magic with the V key (default key).

Unlike other characters, Ain only has 1 bead for awakening. However, he can awaken during his awakening to ascend another stage.

Laby can enhance her command attacks and certain special actives by using Sentimental Points. When available, Sentimental Points are automatically consumed when Laby uses special actives that use them and when she performs her command attacks, one for each applicable command attack. Attacks enhanced by Sentimental Points receive effects ranging from increased damage to ignoring a percentage of defense. Laby can regenerate Sentimental Points by using Inner Aurora or some of her other skills.

Laby also automatically enters awakening when her awakening gauge is full, so she can use her single awakening bead to instead perform a special awakening skill that damages enemies around her and puts them into a Groggy state, while recovering her Sentimental Points as well.